1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates mainly to an image input system, an image input apparatus, an image input method and its memory media such as a film camera, a camcorder, an electronic still camera and so on.
2. Brief Description of the Related Arts
The term xe2x80x9cinput devicexe2x80x9d is defined in general as a xe2x80x9cdevicexe2x80x9d that receives a new data and transfers it to a computer for processing it, of which processed result is received again by the device to be stored in media. Accordingly, the image input system and the image input apparatus herein mean, respectively, a system and an apparatus having similar functions to the input device for treating an image signal while the image input method means a method including similar operation steps to the input device for treating the image signal.
Up to now, changing image sensing conditions during sensing images such as a shutter speed, an iris diaphragm value, a zoom ratio etc. has been performed by users"" direct manipulation of controlling mechanisms for the shutter, the iris and the zoom. Otherwise, it has been carried out, for instance, by users"" selection with reference to typically exemplified images for ideal images, being different from an actually incident image. There has been no such selection technology of the conditions that is performed by predicting various image sensing examples which will be attained by modifying the actual image sensing conditions.
To predict effects that changes in such image sensing conditions as the shutter speed, the iris value, the zoom ratio etc. bring about into images to be sensed hereinafter requires in general a highly technological knowledge. Consequently, in some image input apparatus, general image sensing conditions have been combined and classified into some typical image sensing modes such as xe2x80x9ca figure modexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ca landscape modexe2x80x9d etc., which have been subjected to the selection pursued by the users.
However, above-mentioned conventional means cannot predict the user what kind of effects the changes in image sensing conditions bring about into the image that the user is now preparing to sense. As a result, those means cannot always reflect satisfactorily intentions of the camera users.
On the other hand, an extraction of a main subject or a background out of the image has been carried out up to now from an already sensed image. The extraction does not have been performed, for instance, by newly setting the shutter speed or the iris value out of the incident optical image which is just now ready for sensing an image.
In general, the image sensed by the camera and others consists of the main subject and the background, the latter of which is located behind the main subject. When a difference in brightness between the main subject and the background exceeds a latitude of an image plane to be sensed an image, delicate information about brightness and hue of the background is lost in a balance of total image information because an incident light quantity is adjusted adequately in general with respect to the main subject. Even when a color temperature differs between light sources which respectively illuminate the main subject and the background, the color temperature of the background cannot be reproduced because a setting the conditions for a color reproduction is in general carried out being adjusted with respect to the main subject.
Furthermore, when the user intends to confirm a size of the subject in so far input apparatus, the confirmation is carried out in a manner that an object having a known dimension is aligned in parallel to the subject to be sensed the image.
However, to prepare the object having the known dimension is difficult during sensing images. Aligning the object in parallel to the subject is itself difficult even when the subject is floating on air or floating on water.
The present invention is carried out in circumstances mentioned above. An object of the present invention is to provide an image input apparatus, an image input method and its memory media wherein an image is displayed by a use of an electric simulation technology corresponding to the changes in various image sensing conditions such as in a shutter speed, in an iris value and so on, thereby enabling to supply an easily operational circumstance to a user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image input apparatus and an image input method wherein an image can be sensed under the image sensing conditions which are adequate to a main subject and to a background, respectively.
A still another object of the present invention is to provide an image input system, an image input method and its memory media wherein a user can understand easily a size of a subject which is located in a focal position.